RETIREDRAGON

2011-12-23T11:19:00.051-05:00

After many emails and a few pictures from my little sister, I've decided to post some of her musings. The picture here was taken in a really old Jain Temple....her friend, on the left is Kristi from New Zealand, who happened to be staying at the same hotel.

But first, let me bring you all up-to-date.....earlier this year, she took a sabbatical from teaching and sublet her apartment in Vancouver. Then in August she traveled here, to Toronto for a visit with family and friends.
In September, she flew out of Pearson Airport on her way to Paris...the City of Lights.
So herewith are her thoughts and comments (with some editing) as she travels.

September 17:

France - Vimy and Ypres were a bit of a disappointment.
Could not get to Vimy, in order to find my uncle's name on the Memorial.
Ypres was a pretty little town, if a little touristy and pricey.
Ah, well 5 trains, 12 hours, and 3 countries later, I was in Switzerland, right kerplunken in the middle of the beautiful Alps.
Caught a cold, so a week's downtime at the Swiss Kloster was wonderful. Once I felt better, I was off for a few hikes.Who knew I would be hiking in the Swiss Alps...Yodelayheehoo.
The hills are alive with the sound of......Cowbells?
Yes the ubiquitous Swiss cow is everywhere, even at 2,000 metres. there were choruses of cowbells, in seemingly different octaves in every field.

Late September:

I am in sunny Italy, right now (Venezia) with lots of sunflowers and asters; and staying at a lovely organic farm just north of the old section of the city.
I spent a whole day just tromping around the city of Venice, and rode a bike around the nearby country side to-day.
I leave for Florence tomorrow, after I spend another day in the old town, seeing it from the water, this time. I love Italy!

October 1:

I took a day bike tour of Florence and into the Blue Hills of Tuscany, and had lunch at a 17th century villa, complete with resident Prince and family. I also toured the Uffizi while in Florence, seeing much of the classical Roman treasures and statues, as well as art a la Caravaggio, Botticelli, DaVinci and more.
The Duomo was huge, with Byzantine arches and statuary.
For the next week, I will be in an Italian Farm stay near a little town called Sora.

Enjoying the peaceful countryside at this small organic farm (pictured above).
I met a couple from North Vancouver, staying here....what a small world!
I even got to strum on the farm's resident guitar, last night.
The days are very hot, but the nights tend to cool off a bit.
Dinner at the farm is very good, but lots of starches and vegetables -mostly from the farm.

I knocked myself out the other day climbing a local hill, where there are ruins of a fortress from 500+years ago. I think I got true heatstroke for the first time.

We are in the Apennines, near Abruzzo National Park, which is a a day-long and difficult hike from here; so I think I will pass on it.... since there are no buses up there.

On to Roma tomorrow to see some sights before hunkering down for a week at Santacittarama Monastery until October 13.
From there, it's on to Milan, and fly out with UAE Airlines to New Delhi, where I'll be at a hostel called Mystic Moments.

October 17:

Everything is starting to blur, slightly. Rome seems an eternity ago.
I took an early evening walk through a huge park called Villa Borghese (an infamous family and currently a TV Series).
Anyways, the Europeans certainly don't fool around when it comes to creating a park.
The usual Italian complement of classical statuary, fountains, castles, and Roman ruins, as well as many huge, majestic, Adriatic (umbrella) pines.
The days are still quite hot (86F), but very cool at night, especially in the Sabine Hills, where I stayed on another organic farm.
This is the first time that I've used my Gortex jacket on my trip...but I was glad to have it.

I managed to find the Trevi Fountain, after trying three different times.
There were hordes of tourists, of course, and not a few Italian citizens, who clearly have come from other parts of the country.
On the train to Milan to catch my flight to India, we saw the first real clouds since arriving.

An art installation at the airport was quite appropriate, I thought. Milan is seen as the gateway to the East. You walk through a large, dark room, and your way is lit by small LED's in the floor.
Then you walk through a thin wall of light with mist emanating from the ceiling...it's as if you are walking through a portal from West to East.
We had a four hour layover in Riyadh, at the airport...YAWN! Boy, am I tired; but the Saudi Airlines feed you really well.

All the readings, movies, and advice by friends kind of prepared me for India, but still overwhelmed by the filth and the number of very poor and homeless beings(and that's just the people). I shudder for the dogs and one poor, emaciated cat I saw. THIS MUST BE HELL! Having to do lots of Loving Kindness recitations to kind of be OK with all this.

That said, my first impressions on arrival weren't too bad.....the smells I'd been bracing myself for didn't manifest right away. What I noticed was a smoky smell, of many fires, but that wasn't so different from Italy, where a lot of burning goes on in the countryside, of garbage, and farm detritus. Anyway, driving in from the airport, with Indian pop music playing not too loudly, was like watching a movie. Traffic moves fairly well on the large highways, but OY, get into the city and it's chaos. You take your life in your hands, whether as a passenger, or braving the streets as a pedestrian. The one saving grace is the Metro system, which I've been using to get from the guest house to various sites.
While in the National Museum, a group of Vietnamese/American Theravadan Buddhist pilgrims came through and circled the Buddha relics three times while chanting. Needless to say, I was enchanted by all of this.

So, India is certainly a land of contrasts, but the people, by and large, when not trying to scam you, are very nice, friendly, and helpful.
On to Dharammsala tonight on an overnight bus. We'll see what awaits there.

November 1 - Dharamsala and beyond:

My large CLEAN room, with my own shower, HOT WATER, a western toilet and TV seemed like a slice of heaven after Delhi! The Green Hotel, where I stayed, is quite popular. Someone on my last bus recommended it. They have a nice organic restaurant, and FAST internet access. Some Tibetan monks were also quartered in the back part of the hotel, which is run by a Tibetan family. The monks could be seen eating in the restaurant, chatting on their cells, and checking their email, just like real people. Of course, they are everywhere in McLeod Ganji, which seems to be a relatively happy mixture of Indians and Tibetan refugees. But what a scene in the main square on Diwali evening! Indians were busy letting off all kinds of fireworks and very loud fire crackers to celebrate; while the Tibetans were busy holding a rally and candlelight vigil for the latest spate of monks, and one nun, who have self-immolated in Tibet to protest the Chinese crackdown on them. Much sadness and prayers for them all.

2011-11-23T08:46:00.013-05:00

The other day, I attended a "Memoir Writing" session at the Lillian H Smith Library.
This unique structure was designed by Architect Phillip H. Carter, and has been described as one of Toronto's most "happily eccentric buildings".
The huge arched entrance way is guarded by a winged lion and griffin.
It almost gives you a feeling a medieval castle.

As you can see from the picture below, the building is square on the outside.....

..............but it is circular on the inside.

There is a curved staircase with torches lighting your way down to the meeting rooms in the basement.

Aside from the architecture, this library is home to The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy, as well The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.

The library was named after Lillian Helena Smith, a children's librarian, who, among other things, introduced a new classification designed to organize books in a way more suited to children's collections.

2011-11-02T13:11:00.018-04:00

An article in Spacing Magazine this month, prompted me to explore the history of two prominent female sculptors who lived right here in Toronto, at 110 Glenrose Avenue.

The plaque in front of the house partially reads:

“This board and batten building, originally the schoolhouse for Christ Church, Deer Park, was acquired in 1920 by Frances Loring and Florence Wyle. Sculpting in the classical tradition, they achieved national prominence, and executed many impressive public works, among which are Loring’s Sir Robert Borden on Parliament Hill and Wyle’s Edith Cavell in Toronto….”

This is a bust of Frances Loring, sculpted by Florence Wyle.

Both were born in the US, and met at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1905.

They later shared a studio in New York's Greenwich Village, until they moved to a place on Lombard Street, in downtown Toronto.

They were viewed as radicals, by their neighbours and certainly were feminists, as they walked their dogs around town.

They could often be seen wearing trousers, and baggy coats with colourful scarves dangling in the wind.
Their work was their primary focus, and they lived and worked together for over half a century.

This is a bust of Florence Wyle, sculpted by Frances Loring. She made huge sculptures for the Canadian War Memorial, and her lion graces the foot of the Queen Elizabeth Monument.

Wyle on the other hand was captivated by the human body, as you can see from her statue of the Harvester, located in the Loring-Wyle Parkette.

This little plot of land (once was a turnaround loop for a TTC street car) is dedicated to the art and memory of two remarkable women.

2011-09-14T11:44:00.010-04:00

When my sister arrived from BC, one of the things we decided to do was to go over to the Toronto Islands.

Since I have two bicycles, we decided to ride downtown on the bike trails and take the Ongiara over to Hanlan's Point.

As we traveled along the pavement, we noticed that some trees had small signs attached to them.

Upon further investigation, we found that whenever we saw a little green painted evergreen on the path, we would find another sign on a tree.

These signs, or plaques gave us a lot of information about the tree and for the next few hundred yards, we were constantly stopping to read them.

Once home and in front of my computer, found a web site called "The Canadian Tree Tours".

If you go to the page, you will find an interactive map with pop-up windows to give you all the information about the trees.

There is also a link to a photo gallery, and you can view a slide show
here:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/canadiantreetours/show/

It seems that there are 58 trees stretching from Hanlan's to Ward's with little plaques depicting their origins, their Latin name, family and a picture of the leaf.

I guess if you are reading the sign in the winter, it 's nice to see the shape of the leaf, as well.

2011-08-28T08:00:00.026-04:00

After our visit to the memorial for Jack Layton, (see another post under "STUFF") my sister and I went over to the St Lawrence market area, where the Buskerfest was in full swing.

Front Street between Jarvis and Church was closed to vehicular traffic, so that we could stroll around the area.

There were street vendors with roasted corn on the cob, mmmmm

There were entertainers throughout the area, including musicians...

Jugglers.....

And Buskers....

2011-08-27T08:58:00.019-04:00

Yesterday, my sister, my friend Michael and I went over to the new City Hall to pay our last respects to Jack Layton.

He has been in repose there since Thursday, and Saturday his remains will move to Roy Thompson Hall for a State Funeral.

The line-up to view the closed casket was over an hour, and wound all the way around the building and over to Hagerman Street.

My sister and I opted to sign the Book of Condolences, instead.
The line up there was smaller.

Outside, in Nathan Phillips Square, there were mounted police, camera operators from the various TV companies, and people writing thier thoughts on the sidewalk.

It seemed that wherever there was space enough to articulate, someone was there with chalk....even in a lowly stairwell.

There was, of course, a shrine, with flowers, flags and more messages.

This was being referred to as Jack's Wall of Chalk.

So long Mr. Layton... you will be missed by your family, your friends, the politicians, the NDP, and its members, and of course, us left leaning, bike riding "Pinkos".

2011-07-04T14:44:00.010-04:00

Have been a little busy lately, so just putting some pictures on my blog.

That's all.

2011-06-23T09:54:00.032-04:00

Last Saturday, I joined about a thousand other cyclist for the Bike Lanes on Bloor, aka Bells on Bloor.

We got a pep talk from one of the organizers, and the owner of Sweet Pete's Cycle Shop donated bicycle bells to all those in need.

We started at the entrance to High Park, and pedaled our way east along Bloor Street towards the downtown core. We would eventually end the trek at Queen's Park.

The reason for this ride is to bring to the attention of everyone, that this street is in need of bike lanes.
Everyone was very supportive along the way...they waved, honked and some even clapped as we passed. It was very a empowering day ride.

Many cyclists joined in along the way, and I think the numbers may have doubled by the time we reached Spadina.

Since as early as 1990, Bloor Street has been designated by cycling organizations, and their advocates as a prime candidate for bike lanes.

It's the perfect route - being long, flat and parallel to the subway. But it is not a very safe route. I personally have had some close calls with drivers on this route. So much so that most times, now I will opt for another route, a back alley, even a park, or a parking lot.

2011-06-09T13:04:00.034-04:00

On Tuesday of this week Spacing Magazine held a launch party for their first ever National Issue.

Now this publication has been around since 2003, and has, in the past, focused on public spaces, pedestrians, art and transit in Toronto.

The Creative Director/Publisher, Matthew Blackett explains that they decided to publish more about what's happening in other cities across Canada.

With this issue they have done an in-depth ranking of the top 100 public spaces in Canadian cities.

The party was held in the old Toronto Stock Exchange building on Bay Street, which now houses the Design Exchange.

I decided to attend this function, at the last moment, but I found it more interesting to look at the dresses worn by the late Princess Diana.

I also picked up a program guide while roaming around (our access was limited to the third floor).

There is, of course, tours, exhibits and workshops, as well as a museum.

There is even a Special Events room on the restored Trading Floor for weddings and such.

With its 40 foot ceilings and grand staircase, it would be a great venue for someone with a lot of money.

The Toronto Stock Exchange, Trading Floor, picture is courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives, Series 1057, Item 461.

In October, the DX will be hosting "Canstruction", which by the way is FREE!

This is a design/build competition, where engineering and architectural firms create structures that are built entirely out of canned and packaged food to benefit the Daily Bread Food Bank.

2011-05-31T09:40:00.021-04:00

Last weekend I attended a bowling tournament, but still was able to visit the R.C. Harris Plant on Queen Street, as part of Doors Open Toronto 2011.

This is the first time in several years that the public has been allowed to see inside..security issues since 9/11.

This spectacular public building was the brainchild of Rowland Caldwell Harris, Toronto's City Commissioner from 1912 to 1945.

They are doing a lot of construction work on the premises, between the gaggle of visitors and the mess of the workers, it was not easy to get good outside pictures.

Inside the Pumping Station, we were able to touch the black and gold marble walls and the intricate railings.

The pumps were running constantly, and signs advised people not to linger inside any longer than thirty minutes.

Everywhere you looked, there were examples of Art Deco.

Even down to the water fountain...mmm good.

Outside, overlooking the lake.

2011-05-30T11:16:00.021-04:00

The history of the Tulip is filled with intrigue, thievery, instant fortunes and broken hearts.
Although these flowers are mostly associated with the Dutch, they did not originate in the Netherlands.

Historians believe that the raising of Tulips originated somewhere in Northern China around the 12th Century.

Later, they were cultivated and developed specifically for the pleasure of the Sultan Suleiman the First (1494-1566).

During the Turkish reign of Ahmed III (1703- 1730) it is believed that the Tulip reigned supreme as a symbol of wealth and prestige.

It was forbidden to buy or sell tulips outside of the capital.
The punishment was exile.

During the second half of the 16th century, news of the extraordinary flower reached Europe and seeds were the sent to the prefect ( Clusius) of the Royal Medicinal Gardens in Prague.

Some years later (1593), Clusius fled, for religious sanctuary, to The Netherlands, where he became curator of the Leiden Botanical Gardens.

Here, he proceeded to plant his beloved tulip collection, but was a selfish gardener, and refused to sell or share them with anyone.

The sudden and intense interest in these flowers, eventually sparked some folks to steal the bulbs.

Until 1630, the bulbs were grown and traded only between connoisseurs and scholars; but more commercially minded people soon noticed the ever increasing prices that were being paid for certain "variegated" tulips.

It wasn't long before the majority of the Dutch community became obsessed with these flowers.

The most expensive flower was the "Semper Augustus".

Those who could not afford the bulbs, settled instead for art, ceramics, and embroideries which featured the flowers.

The inevitable 'crash' of Tulip prices happened in 1637, when a group of sellers could not get the prices they wanted, and people everywhere came to their senses.

This is generally considered the first recorded speculative bubble.

Over the following decades, interest rose and fell, but the Dutch maintained a commercial devotion, and today export about 1.2 billion bulbs each year.

2011-05-14T12:10:00.018-04:00

At this time in High Park, the Somei-Yoshino cherry trees at their finest.

They are the earliest of the species to bloom, and are much loved by the Japanese for their fluffy white flowers.

They only last a little more than a week or so before the blooms fall and green leaves start to appear.

These particular trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto helping to relocate Japanese- Canadians after the Second World War.

In 1959, the Japanese ambassador to Canada, presented the Japanese Sakura trees to the citizens of Toronto on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo.

Vancouver, B.C. is famous for its thousands of cherry blossom trees lining their streets and many of their parks.

I did a blog episode on April 3rd about the Cherry Blossom Festival (you can find it under "Stuff").

After taking a few pictures around the park, I headed for the High Park Loop, in order to catch the 506 streetcar.

On the way I snapped a picture of a little chipmunk scampering around the "Controlled Burn" section of the park.

I wonder what he and other animals thought of the exercise by the City park staff and firefighters on April 14?

Even though the report said that the ground would only remain black for a week, the place still smells burnt and looks really disgusting, UGH!!

For some pretty good pictures of the burn, click on this link.

2011-04-03T17:29:00.048-04:00

The weather co-operated today, as I ventured over to High Park to join a Walking Tour called "Myths and Legends".
A PDF list of the various walking tours can be found here.

This is Kathryn, our walk leader today, who works at Colborne Lodge.

Here we have the folks gathering at the benches just south of the Grenadier Restaurant and Tea House.

Our first stop is Hawk Hill, which is the highest point in the park.

High Park has the distinction of being one of the very few raptor monitoring sites operating in the centre of a large urban area.

For further information, you can link to The Greater Toronto Hawk Watch web site.

Down the hill and to the west there is a labyrinth that was created in 2001.
Its pattern is based on the 11 circuit labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral, France.
Walking the labyrinth provides an opportunity to quiet the mind through meditation and reflection.

Moving further west, we came upon Wendigo Creek, where the beavers have been very busy lately, chomping on the trees along the banks.

The origin of the creek's name is unknown, but our leader told us a story about an Algonquin Indian boy who was out hunting for food in the winter when he came upon this malevolent spirit. Now the Wendigo was known as a cannibal and ate both animal and humans with gusto; growing in size as he did so.
After a great struggle, the boy managed to kill the spirit by stabbing it in the eye.
As a result of his heroics, an old grey fox gave his life to the boy as a way of thanking him for ridding the area of the Wendigo.

From here the creek flows into a settling pond (Wendigo Pond) which removes some of the debris picked up by the storm sewers.
Next the water enters the marshy north end of Grenadier Pond, where the reeds act as a natural filtration system.

Along with the beavers, we saw swans, ducks, geese, robins, and red-wing blackbirds.

There is more to this walk (it was two hours long), but it will have to wait for another time.

2011-03-15T16:16:00.013-04:00

Last Saturday Michelle and Adam invited friends and family over to their new condo to help celebrate Nico's 2nd Birthday.

Below is Jennifer (my youngest niece) with her youngest - Caitlyn.

The picture here is just a bunch of people with kids crawling all over them.

There seemed to be a lot of kids wearing pink.

Adam's brother (with the glasses) has his little girl, Penny, who is conversing with Adam. Then there's Nico's back and Jennifer.

This is the very camera-shy Lucy - Michelle and Adam's first and she will be four in August.

Here we have Michelle, who is helping Nico to open her pretty cards and presents.

Missing from my photos is Liam, who preferred to play in the girls' bedroom with all the toys.

Maybe all these women just overwhelmed the little guy.

2011-03-12T10:43:00.012-05:00

The clocks will be put forward tonight, and Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade is also on the agenda for tomorrow...so it's beginning to look a lot like spring - with longer days e.g: more sunlight hours.

In Washington, they are gearing up for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

The cherry trees that bloom in this state were a gift from Japan in 1912; and there are about 100 of the original 3,000 still growing.

Vancouver is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year, and will be marking the occasion with a special Cherry Blossom Festival.

Apparently, the City is giving property owners a chance to purchase a "Birthday Blossom" cherry tree; and even giving them instructions on how to plant and maintain their new little tree.

It's interesting to note here that the number of trees available for purchase is 3,000...the same number of trees that were gifted to the U.S. only 99 years ago.

The "Cherry Blossom" is the flower of the tree known as "Sakura"

In Japan, the Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune, as well as for love, and affection; but because the flower blooms and then dies so quickly, it is also a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life itself.

Here in Toronto's High Park, we have many Somei-Yoshino cherry trees, with their fluffy white flowers. These were given to the City in 1959 by Japan (again).

The above picture is not in Toronto, but in Newark, New Jersey.

Through the Sakura Project, the Japanese Embassy donated a further 34 trees to be planted in High Park, and in various locations throughout the GTA

2011-02-24T12:42:00.023-05:00

On August 9, 2010, a new Beach magically appeared in Toronto's East Bayfront neighbourhood.

In 2002, Waterfrontoronto held a competition to design a park in a 2 acre space just west of the new Corus Entertainment building.

Where there was once an industrial parking lot with crumbling pavement.....

...there now sits a pure white sandy beach, complete with pink umbrellas and white wooden chairs...

.....add to that a few candy-striped rock outcroppings, and Voila! you have a place for residents and visitors alike to enjoy the sun, the sailboats, and the view.

According to their web site, the park/beach will also have a multi-use pathway cutting through it, that will connect to the Waterfront Trail.

There are 57 trees, 150 chairs and 36 umbrellas in this 8500 metre space that sits alongside the Redpath Sugar Refinery at the foot of Lower Jarvis.

2011-02-16T13:40:00.012-05:00

On our way to the winery in Langley, we stopped at a little place called Kilby Park.

It is located near the junction of the Harrison and Fraser Rivers, and is a popular fishing spot for Coho and Spring Salmon.

There is a small sandy beach with a single boat ramp for launching most fishing vessels, as well as a 22 site campground.

It is designated a British Columbia Wildlife Watch Area due to the large number of Bald Eagles, as well as Trumpeter Swans that inhabit the area.

There is a Bald Eagle Festival each year in BC, and last year it was held in the Fraser Valley. These magnificent birds of prey are drawn to the Salmon runs and the milder climate in the region.

The logs you see in the pictures are the remnants of an old Rat Portage Mill that once occupied a piece of the shore along the Harrison River.

The above picture was uploaded from the Wikipedia page about Harrison Mills.

2011-02-14T18:11:00.012-05:00

This is the University Theatre, that once sat on Bloor Street West.

The 1300-seat cinema opened in 1949; and the first film to be shown was Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman. (The above picture is courtesy of The Archives of Ontario).

I remember lining up in '76 to see the premier of the new George Lucas film "Star Wars - Episode IV - A New Hope".

We were all suitably impressed with the opening scene depicting the Imperial-class Star Destroyer chasing Princess Leia.

It closed in 1986, just after the Toronto Film Festival wrapped up it's tenth year; despite efforts to keep it intact by film buffs, heritage groups and Mayor Art Eggleton.

The building was demolished completely, except for the facade.

The owners were unable to sell the property to any developers because the market was experiencing a bust.

Later, in the nineties, the deteriorating wall needed to be torn down, and with downtown property now at a premium, the owners were able to capitalize on their empty lot.

Originally, the plan was to built a nine screen theatre complex with condos on top, but it ended up being a retail store.

The facade was replicated and the fake facade is now the entranceway for the Pottery Barn.

The above image is from Wikipedia and is used with permission.

2011-02-08T11:00:00.030-05:00

On our way to the Chaberton Estate Winery, in Langley, we took the scenic route through the Fraser Valley, and stopped at Kilby (to be covered later in another episode); and then took a walkabout at the Westminster Abbey, near Mission.
We trekked through a wooded area, and came upon a lookout that afforded us a breath-taking view of the valley.

I neglected to take my camera, so this is an uploaded picture from Wikipedia Common files.

We the drove to the winery in Langley; and only had to wait a few minutes for the next tour.

The winery is small but we felt that the tour was a little more personal, as a result.
The tour guide talked about the choice of location for the vineyard.

Apparently, after studying the climate in the area, the owners decided to plant their grapes on the south-facing slope of the valley, in order to take advantage of the "micro climate".
The cool temperatures are ideal for growing white wine grapes, and they bring in their red grapes from the Okanagan Valley.

We then toured the winery's bottling and storage facility.

After the tour we were able to taste four of their wines that they bottled last season.

We each purchased two bottles of wine, and returned to the car for the drive back to Vancouver.

There was also a restaurant/bistro on the premises, but the prices looked a little steep.

It might have been nice to sit with a glass of wine, because the place overlooked the vineyard, and it was a very nice sunny day.

2011-01-28T15:57:00.018-05:00

One day, Leona and I took a day trip to see the World Art Market (WAM) exhibit at the University of British Columbia.

It was advertised as a market featuring indigenous art and artists, with food, music and performers from around the world.

We took two buses to the university and walked through the campus, over to the Museum of Anthropology (MOA).

It was a good thing that my sister knew the way, because I would have been lost, otherwise.

There was a giant tent on the grounds, with artist who were carving (with argillite or wood), tufting (with caribou or moose hair), as well as painting, spinning pottery and playing music.

This area was once a fort with big guns, observation posts and bunkers.

Below, is a panel depicting the actual placement of Gun # 1 for defense of the coast during World War II.

Here we have the Artillery Stores and shelter that was used for the troops stationed here at Point Grey Battery.

Inside, the museum we wandered through the exhibits...there were lots of carvings and totems.

In the Great Hall, we stopped to watch Ache Brasil, in their traditional costumes.

They entertained us with their music, and some pretty energetic dancing.

I hope I was able to capture the experience in these pictures.

This blog is for my friends and relatives to see my travels and trivia, but this particular section (BC Trip) is like re-experiencing my vacation, all over again.

2011-01-12T08:12:00.012-05:00

In Vancouver there is a street called Commercial Drive, that runs through the eastern section of the city.

It is also known as "The Drive".

The street is filled with colourful murals wherever you look.

Perhaps this keeps the graffiti to a minimum; although there was some graffiti on a few of the street murals.
The murals are, at times, whimsical......

while others reflect the ethnicity of the owners.

This last mural was a disappointment, for sure.

Thank you, CTV for placing your advertising sign in front of a wonderful mural of a Chinese Imperial Dragon.

2011-01-04T15:45:00.023-05:00

One weekend, Leona and I decided to take the SeaBus over to Vancouver's North Shore.
It's a passenger-only ferry that crosses the Burrard Inlet, to the Lonsdale Quay.

We walked around the quay and visited some stores even though it was a little dreary that day.

It kept threatening to rain some more; but we decided to walk along the shoreline despite the weather.

We came upon a small pavilion, that marked the Trans Canada Trail.

This, according to the sign, is a First Nations greeting place for travelers on the trail.

The sign describes the figures and their symbolism by the Squamish the carver.

Further along the shoreline, we came upon an archway, which marked the entrance to the North Shore Spirit Trail.

This trail, when completed, will be a multi-use green way extending from Horseshoe Bay over to Deep Cove.

We followed for a bit, but it only ended at a marina and a small community of trailers.

Back at the quay, we decided to stroll indoors and stop for a coffee and maybe a treat.

After coffee and muffins, we boarded the SeaBus once again, and returned to the Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver.

2011-01-03T06:19:00.013-05:00

I thought it would be nice to make use of the pictures I took on the street where my sister lives in East Vancouver.

So without further ado, herewith, for your viewing pleasure, are a few snaps of the street, resplendent in its fall colours.

The house, on the street.

The street.

A closer shot of the house on the street.

This is the entrance to the garage, where the bicycles are kept...no car.

Finally, this is the cafe that I frequented most mornings...on "The Drive" ....which happens to be not far from the street.

2010-12-30T09:15:00.015-05:00

With camera in hand, I ventured out one overcast day to take some pictures for my blog and for myself....to remember my trip.

Above is the view looking north from my sister's neighbourhood.

Some benches on a downtown street near the harbour.

The Burrard Street bridge.

The marina at Granville Island.

Canada Place.

2010-12-12T12:54:00.015-05:00

I think that Chinatown and Gastown are two of Vancouver's most popular attractions and everyone should take time to tour around both.

Gastown got its name from Captain Jack "Gassy" Deighton, who opened Vancouver's first saloon in 1867. This was at a time when the area was a stopping- off point for prospectors heading for Barkerville during the Cariboo Gold Rush.

A statue of Jack stands here on the corner of Carrall and Powell Streets.

In 1886, an out-of-control brush fire literally burned Gastown to the ground, and within 12 hours, a new city rose from the ashes...Vancouver.

An extremely popular site in this area is the Gastown Steam Clock at the corner of Cambie and Water Streets.

It was built by Canadian horologist Raymond Saunders in 1977, as a tourist attraction for the newly renovated district.

I sat in a little cafe enjoying fresh halibut and chips and watched folks studying and waiting for the clock to blow steam and sound the "Westminster Quarters"

There are lots of boutiques and restaurants on this street, and I tried to visit as many as possible.
One such place that I happened into was McLean's.
It's owned by the former Vancouver Canucks goaltender, Kirk McLean; and was very upscale... so I sat at the bar and just had a glass of wine.

Apparently, this part of the building was once a pharmacy, as evident by little black and white ceramic tiles on the floor.

Since it wasn't very busy, I was able to engage the waitress in some conversation, and found that there was a clock of a different sort (not working) hanging in the back stairwell, that leads to the downstairs bar.

Neat, eh?

2010-12-08T11:42:00.014-05:00

No visit to Vancouver would be complete without a tour around Chinatown.

The City has put the hydro electric lines and transformers in the lane ways instead of along the main thoroughfares.

I loved wandering around this park in the centre of the city.

Here is a "Ghost Sign".

Some spices offered by the local food vendors on the streets of Chinatown.

2010-11-30T15:43:00.021-05:00

So far, I have blogged about the first leg of our trip to B.C.

There was the Winnipeg Exchange District, The Marine Building, Granville Island, and The Fringe Festival.

To-day's blog will feature pictures taken from the dome car as we travel across the Prairies and through the Rockies.

Here we have the Potash Mines in Saskatchewan, which were recently in the news because of a hostile takeover bid by BHP of Australia.

This is our first glimpse of the Rockies as we approach Edmonton.

Here, the train takes us alongside the Fraser River, and the mountains.

Looking across the Fraser River at the beginnings of the Rockies.

It started to rain, so there are some droplets on the car window which I cannot remove, without some serious work in Photoshop.

Up ahead, we can see the mist hanging over the mountains.

This is the first snow-peaked mountain to appear on our trip through this province.

2010-11-14T09:59:00.023-05:00

While in Vancouver, I took a lot of pictures and became the consummate tourist for a couple of weeks....however, I did breathe in some culture; thanks to my sister.

Leona and I attended a Vancouver Folk Song Society event, and we went to see two plays at the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

The first play was called "7X1 Samurai" by David Gaines.

The actor mimed and created his own sound effects as he performed an entertaining scenario of Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai".

You can read a review of his act that appeared in the Washington Post here.

The other play was titled "Dead Man's Cell Phone" - a comedy by Sarah Ruhl.

It tells the story of a woman who somehow feels responsible for the man's cell phone when he doesn't answer it.

The reason, of course, is because he has died in the cafe, and no one seems to have noticed, except her.

We both enjoyed these plays very much, and Leona met some friends while we waited in line at the Firehall Arts Centre on Cordova Street.

I will be posting more pictures of VanCity....soon.

2010-10-24T12:09:00.027-04:00

Yesterday, Marcia and I took the transit to the far reaches of "Scarberia"....almost to the Metro Zoo.

Not only were we in another postal code, but, it seemed to us like a different world, as we traveled on the # 86 Bus to Sheppard and Meadowvale.
[It should be noted here that it took Marcia an additional bus and subway ride, in order to meet me at the station]
After that, we still had to transfer to another bus to arrive at 1749 Meadowvale Road (The Pearse House).

Our destination was the entrance to the Rouge Valley Park; where we would hike the Cedar Trail.
The hill you see in the distance (in the photo above) is a garbage dump.
Currently, there is a Ontario Power Generation facility, at the end of this road, extracting methane gas from the site and converting it into hydro.

The Nature Walks are all marked with directions, distance and information for any self-guided tours.There are nine such trails in the valley, and they extend from Highway 407 in the North to Lake Ontario in the South.

We joined a small group of folks with a leader, named Bob, who was a naturalist.

This is Little Rouge Creek, as it makes its way down to Lake Ontario.

Here we have some Black Ducks
According to Bob, there are very few of these ducks in Ontario, due to the increase in the number of Mallard Ducks.

This is a "Raptor Perch" for hawks and other such birds to sit on since there is very few old growth trees for these predators in this area.
All of the original trees were uprooted when the City dug up the area for fill, for the dump.

There is only new growth, that has been planted by the Rouge Valley Conservation Authority.

The Ontario Trails has a blog about the fall hikes in this valley.
For more information, click on this link:

http://www.ontariotrails.blogspot.com/

2010-10-13T16:05:00.017-04:00

As I blogged before...we arrived in Winnipeg around 8 am on Thursday, September 9, and we were met by Leona's friend, Gloria, who took us on a tour of the Exchange District.

Here we have a Romanesque Revival building at 212 McDermot Street. It was built in 1901 for the Lake of the Woods Milling Company, and features two red brick facades with round-head windows on the main floor. Notice the sandstone-faced entrance that is inscribed with the name of the company.

This is the back of the Porter Building, located at 165 McDermot. Originally constructed in 1906 as a warehouse for crockery, china, and glass...it closed its doors in 1943. As you can see, it was once occupied by a candy company, and unlike some cities, Winnipeg has encouraged owners to keep the old painted signs, whenever possible.

The IOOF Hall that you see below, sits at the corner of McDermot and Princess Streets.
It is a three story building with metal cornice bearing the letters "IOOF and ML No 1" -Independent Order of Odd Fellows Manitoba Lodge No. 1. Look closely and observe the cryptic symbols of the mystic order...a crescent moon with seven stars and a three link chain.

When the architects were designing the new Red River College on Princess Street, they decided to preserve the heritage facades of the five buildings in the block. They, along with the engineers, integrated them (the facades) into the new building, by temporarily supporting the facades with a unique steel buttress framework. As well, the brick, millwork, glass, ceramic tiles, heavy timbers, light fixtures, steel columns, and Tyndall stone cladding were all reclaimed.

Here we have a "Ghost Sign" for the Western Elevator and Motor Company.

This old door, with its iron gate is situated on Main Street at 460.

Another door....this one at 137 McDermot.

I caught some students sitting around the Exchange District...they were sketching some of the older brick buildings....could they be budding architects?

Well...we had a great time touring the area. I probably could have spent a couple of days just walking around. I did not get pictures of the old bank that Birk's had renovated (they kept the elevators, mail box and vault from the former occupants). We had a free ride back to the station on the transit, because it was after 11 am. There are three downtown busses that provide this service. Neat, eh?
Thanks, Gloria for a great day in Winnipeg.

2010-09-22T21:48:00.020-04:00

Even though it was raining on Saturday, Leona and I wandered around Granville Island, under the Granville Bridge.

This is "Bubbles The Seal"...so named by the locals, because if she does not get any fish from the people on the wharf, she blows bubbles to show her frustration.

The Marina....

The Toy Market.....

The Farmer's (or Public) Market...here we bought a four pound sockeye salmon.

Some Japanese Lanterns.....

This was interesting...I am not sure what it is and I could not find a sign that gave any information...what does it do???

Here we have some totem poles in the making.....

2010-09-21T17:34:00.023-04:00

The Marine Building in downtown Vancouver:

Once the tallest building in the British Empire, it enjoys a special heritage status as an internationally acclaimed example of Art Deco Architecture.

Completed in 1930, the main lobby has an ornate marble flooring depicting the twelve signs of the zodiac.

These are the front doors.....

Inside the walls are panelled with 12 different types of Britsh Columbia hardwoods.

One of the elevators-with the door open.

Neat, eh?

2010-09-15T19:26:00.021-04:00

My sister, Leona and I began our journey to British Columbia, with a train ride aboard "The Canadian"

We left Toronto's Union Station at 2200 hours, on Saturday, September 7 and arrived in Capreol, Ontario the next day around 6 am.

Somewhere during the first day we changed time zones, losing one full hour; we are now on Central Time.

There are a total of 20 cars on our train with three dome cars, several sleepers, as well as economy and dining cars.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, we stop in Hornepayne to pick up more passengers.

We had time to stretch our legs and get some fresh air, before moving on.
This area must be a little depressed since no one has fixed up the train station and some buildings have been left to rot.
Most folks are employed by CN Rail in this area doing maintenance.

We arrive in Sioux Lookout just after midnight of Thursday, which means we slept through most of the northern Ontario landscape, oh hum.

At 0600 hours we cross in to Manitoba, and arrive in Winnipeg at 0900 hours; where we meet Gloria (a friend of Leona’s).

Now it’s off to the “Y” for a much needed shower ($4.00 each).

Breakfast is next, and Gloria suggests Gracie’s in the City Hall complex (it’s fast & cheap).

Once clean and sated we travel to the Exchange District for a Gloria-lead tour of the old buildings in this area.

To be continued.......

2010-07-02T11:10:00.041-04:00

Not only was it Canada Day yesterday, but it was also a day to venture out and view the Tall Ships at the Waterfront.

So.... with camera in hand, herewith are some pictures taken at Queen's Quay on a summer day.

This is the German vessel "Brigg Roald Amundsen"

It was originally designed as a deep sea fish logger in 1952.

Apparently, the difference between a brig and a schooner is the position and size of the masts, as well as the type of sails aboard.

All of these ships, by the way, are either training ships or teaching platforms, except the Toronto Harbour Touring Vessels.
The next ship on our tour is the Roseway.

This is a gaff rigged schooner out of St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The last ship on this blog is the Empress Sandy.
She' s anchored in the Spadina Slip, and is a Toronto Harbour Cruise Vessel.

By this time the crowds were getting larger and it was becoming more and more difficult to maneuver. I still have the rest of the long weekend to visit the rest of the ships.

2010-06-25T07:51:00.007-04:00

Apparently, one does not have to travel to Tibet and climb over the Kunlun Mountain range in order to enter Shangri-La.

The gate exists right here in downtown Toronto, on Simcoe Street.

2010-06-20T18:20:00.008-04:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...well here's six thousand....

2010-06-01T15:47:00.026-04:00

Yesterday, my friend, Kinga and I took a day trip to Terra Cotta Conservation Area (aka The Hills of Headwaters) in the Caledon Hills area, just north of the City.

We both have a book called "Nature Hikes" by Janet Eagleson that describes about 30 or more trails near Toronto. The section about the Terra Cotta area says that there are 37 varieties of wild orchids to see in this Conservation Park.

So...equipped with cameras and food we ventured out in search of some wild orchids.

What we found instead was two ponds full of frogs.

Green frogs...

Yellow frogs...

Bullfrogs.....

I found this tree fungus to be an interesting shot....

And so it was, no orchids, two jack in the pulpits, and the people who care for this area say there are no orchids here.

2010-05-30T07:51:00.029-04:00

This weekend is Doors Open Toronto; so, of course, Marcia and I made plans to go; and we were not disappointed. The first building at 10 am on Saturday was The Flatiron, aka The Gooderham Building. There was a chap there from Heritage Toronto who regaled us of the history while we waited for the tour to begin.

In 1891, George Gooderham, the then sole proprietor of the Gooderham & Worts Distillery commissioned David Roberts Jr., the son of the architect who designed and built his nearby distillery to design a grand office building. George's personal office was located on the fifth floor directly beneath the green Cupola...that you see in the picture here.

This is the Otis elevator, in the foyer.
It was the first manually operated elevator in the city.
We could not use it on the tour, so everyone walked up four flights to see the rest of the building.

There once was a safe on every floor and traces of a tunnel in the basement, confirm that he had his money moved across the street to the Toronto Bank-where, as it would happen, he was President.
A lot of the money came from selling his Canadian spirits to American businessmen (aka gangsters). Apparently, it was not unusual to find George dealing with the likes of Al Capone in his office at Front and Wellington.

Outside, the fire escapes were added on for safety reasons, since there is only one set of stairs for the five stories and two exits.

Here, we see the mural on the back of the building, painted by Derek Besant.
It uses the trompe l’oeil effect (literally, “trick the eye”), that creates an optical illusion- convincing the viewer that the objects are real.

The mural is a mirror image of the Perkins Building, located directly across the street.

2010-05-03T12:20:00.042-04:00

On Saturday, as part of Jane's Walk, Marcia and I chose the tour/walk along the Humber River and environs.

Did you know that the Humber is the only Canadian Heritage River accessible by subway?
It was dedicated as a Heritage River in 1999.

We met at the Old Mill Subway station and followed Lisette Mallet from Societe d'histoire de Toronto.

We walked from the station past the Old Mill Inn which was built in 1793 and was Toronto's first sawmill.
As we strolled south along the shared path, we stopped underneath the Bloor Street Bridge that is being refurbished. Upon completion, it will have a permanent marker to show where the Humber River overflowed during Hurricane Hazel.

Unfortunately, many of the signs, structures benches, etc. have either been vandalized or have a lot of graffiti. This Heritage Plaque is a good example.

Our guide talked about the proposal to create an historical park on this 150 hectare site (370.65 acres) with interpretive nodes, benches, tables, facilities, plaques and way finders.

Here we have a public washroom(in the shape of a flying saucer) that has been neglected, vandalized and generally run down.

Much of the Kings Mill Park is a landfill site from the early 50's.

After moving south past the yacht club, and alongside the South Humber via Stephen Drive, we could see and hear a number of Red Winged Blackbirds.

I managed to get a picture of a Downy Woodpecker hunting for food on a nearby tree.

Here, also are some trilliums that are growing beside our pathway.

We were lucky that the rain held off until we were almost finished our walk.

It only started to become heavy once we were on the Queensway.

From there we were able to grab the 501 streetcar.

Thank you Lisette for a great tour of the Humber and its park system..

2010-04-28T15:37:00.041-04:00

The other day, my friend Marcia was strolling along Grosvenor Street, when she happened upon a new street sign for a lane way running between Grosvenor and Grenville Streets.

Later on that day, she called to ask me if I knew about the name and why the City of Toronto chose it.
When I Googled the name "St. Vincent Street Toronto" I got a PDF document about 832 Bay Street (the old Addison on Bay Dealership).

As I scrolled further down, there was a review of the book "Toronto A Literary Guide" by someone in New Brunswick. Incidentally, this book won the Toronto Book Award in 2000.

The writer had looked through the book for an author named Willa Cather who spent some time in Toronto around 1910-1920.
Willa apparently stayed with a friend who lived at 38 St. Vincent Street. This short street was annexed by the City into the Terauley Extension, and then later as Bay Street.

So the lane way is named after a street that no longer exists in the downtown core; and it seems that there are a number of streets in this area named after saints, such as St. Joseph, St. Nicholas, and St. Mary.

Upon further reading, I found that a few doors away, in 1894, a man named Dr. Henry Holmes resided briefly. Select the link to see more information, and a picture of this man, who would become America's first serial killer.

The number 16 St Vincent Street became the centre of attention for the City and the local Constabulary, when someone discovered two bodies of little children buried beneath the house.

Holmes's exploits are chronicled in the non-fiction book titled "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Lawson.
This little bit of trivia sounds like a good episode for "Murdoch Mysteries".

The picture of the sign is mine, but the black and whites are courtesy of the Toronto Archives.

2010-01-22T12:40:00.008-05:00

On my way over to brunch at the Queen Mother Cafe, I happened to look up and see two guys painting a mural on the side of this building.

For those of you who are not familiar with this intersection.....it's The REX (where Jazz lives on Queen West).

If you go to their web site; not only will you hear some jazz; but you can see the finished product (the mural picture)

2010-01-03T10:20:00.029-05:00

I was browsing through Spacing's web pages and happened upon an article about cable cars as a form of transportation, here in Toronto.

The title was "Its Time For Toronto To Finally Get Cable"
There is a planner who thinks that cable cars, rather than streetcars are the answer to the TTC problems.

Some people have grasped the idea, and it may very well FLY (pardon the pun), sometime soon.

The naysayers, of course will believe that it is more expensive and will become problematic in winter.

But, there a number of gondolas, cable cars, aerial lifts (whatever you want to call them) throughout the world in areas that are snow covered year round.

Banff is a good example, as well as France and Switzerland.

Probably the most famous lift is the Vanoise Express that links La Plagne with Les Arcs in France.

It was officially opened in December of 2003, but has had a few safety problems since.

The Vanoise Incident.

I personally like the Skytrain in Vancouver.
It is the longest (49.5 km) automated rapid transit system in the world, and carries 271,000 passengers daily.

I would rather see this type of train linking the airport with the city, than an extension of the YU subway line.

But then, that's just me.

2009-12-21T13:10:00.005-05:00

This sign has a spelling error in it, click on the image and find it.

2009-12-18T14:12:00.019-05:00

The other day, I wrote about the Edgewater Hotel sign being removed by the City.

Today, I was able to find pictures on BlogTO of this intersection.

Here you see the corner building known as the B & G Coffee Shop and Milk Bar.
The hotel was just being built when this picture was taken in 1949.

Flash forward to the 70's and we find that the B&G sign and the big horizontal stripes have disappeared.

The hotel seems to be thriving and the coffee shop has become a travel bureau for Gray Coach.

It's interesting to note that in 1985 the "Mad Bomber" placed dynamite in the washroom of the Gray Coach Terminal here as well as at the Eglinton Station on TTC property.

Both bombs exploded with no injuries, and the man was caught but later escaped, and never re-captured.

Today McDonald's sits at this corner, the hotel's name has changed to Days Inn and taggers have put a lot of graffitti on the old billboard.

2009-12-16T12:12:00.012-05:00

Last summer I was strolling along Roncesvalles, near Queen West - when I looked up to see that the neon sign still sits on this building.

There's a lot of history here, so I snapped a picture of the sign attached to the Days Inn.

But now, according to the Torontoist the Edgewater sign has come down.

City officials ordered that the Parkdale landmark be removed on November 3, after nearly three years of working to convince the owner of the building to make necessary repairs. According to a Municipal Licensing and Standards manager, the sign had finally become so derelict that city inspectors deemed it unsafe.

2009-11-01T15:11:00.034-05:00

The Discovery Walk sign here says:

"You are standing on what was once the edge of an extensive ravine system containing one of the largest creeks that ran through central Toronto".

Once famous for its Salmon fishing, the City buried the creek just south of Bloor Street, in an underground sewer system.

You can follow the Discovery Walk wayfinders across Bloor Street to Bickford Park and over to Harbord Street, where you will find the remnants of the bridge that was built for access across Garrison Creek.

This is a copy of a photo from the Toronto Archives, that shows the original bridge being built in 1910.
After crossing Harbord Street and traversing Harbord Park, you will find youself behind the Montrose Public School.

Here you can see how the ravine has shaped the landscape of the streets.

The houses along this street have succumbed to the same fate as others in the "Beaches"....the powerful water from Garrison Creek has caused these homes to tilt dangerously close to one another.

2009-10-25T17:56:00.003-04:00

This is the start of a Toronto Discovery Walk and also where you can see the Garrison Creek's meanderings.

2009-10-12T10:35:00.007-04:00

This is a disposal for gum thats attached to a building on King Street East near Jarvis.

Look closely, and you will see that someone has put their gum at the end of the arrow, instead of in the container.

2009-09-28T19:30:00.030-04:00

Yesterday, Heritage Toronto conducted a fictional walking tour of Murdoch's Toronto.
We were lead by the creator and author of Murdoch Mysteries, Maureen Jennings. Our tour began at the corner of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets; and moved to Allan Gardens.

Here, Ms Jennings spoke about the prejudices and mistrust that people had for those of different faiths, here in Victorian Toronto.
She told us of the churchgoers who would "take air" in Allan Gardens after the church services on Sunday.
Back then this park was known as the Horticultural Gardens.

We (almost 200) then moved over to Ontario Street, just south of Gerrard, where she told us how she came to decide where William Murdoch would take his lodgings.
Here we have 222 Ontario Street, which is attached to two other similar houses and happen to share the same attic.

One episode of Murdoch Mysteries deals with this aspect of the houses when someone tries to drug our hero cop.

We created quite a stir in the neighbourhood as we walked down the street and took pictures of the well-kept homes.

We then followed our guide over to Parliament Street and south to Queen, where the John O'Neill Hotel once stood.
It was renamed the Rupert Hotel, but burnt to the ground in 1989.
This plaque commemorates those who lost their lives in the fire.

Further south, we stopped at St. Paul's Basilica on Power Street and Ms. Jennings talked about the House of Providence that once stood nearby.
It was demolished in 1962 to make way for the Richmond Street exit ramp of the Don Valley Parkway. The sisters (of Providence) and the residents moved to a facility in Scarborough (St. Clair and Warden).

We walked east along Queen Street to the former Dominion Brewery building.

Built in 1878, it was one of many breweries established in "Corktown".

Thank you, Maureen for a wonderful afternoon and an informative tour of our city.

2009-08-29T20:03:00.016-04:00

Liam's 2nd Natal Celebratory Day

I guess the title says it all.............

The Cake......

Steve and Nico

Lucy

Nico

Lucy and Adam

Liam

Eating Cake....

Opening presents.

2009-08-16T08:52:00.017-04:00

Last Thursday my friends and I boarded the Empress of Canada for a three hour tour of Toronto harbour. It was sponsored by a few bars in "The Village"
.
I was able to capture some pretty good pictures of the shoreline.....

The yacht club....

The lagoon....

And once the sun set in the west, a really good night shot of the city.

Not bad for a little point & shoot camera, eh?